b'Dr. Jaqui Jones answersimportant questionsabout being vaccinatedfor COVID-19 Jaqui Jones, MD, Family Medicine, Columbia, SCNow that a COVID-19 vaccine is available, we have reached a key point that could help end the pandemic. But there has been concern, especially among minorities, that the vaccine is not safe.Can we trust it? How was it developed so quickly? Who should get it first? Should I get it? Are you going to get it? Prisma Health family medicine physician, Jaqui Jones, MD, addressed these concerns and offered advice.By Kimberly SouthAs a minority, should you beIs this vaccine too new to be skeptical of the COVID-19trusted?vaccine? Decades of finance, research and studies have gotten Thereisnoreasontobeskepticalofthisvaccine,ustothismoment,saidDr.Jones. Wehaveused saidDr.Jones.Largegroupsofminoritydoctorstechnology and information to our advantage against andotherhealthcareprofessionalsareconstantlyCOVID-19 to develop this vaccine. The vaccine was communicating with each other. We are having a lotnotrushedinthenameoftheeconomyorforany of conversations and sharing data about the researchother reason. It is backed by good science with over aroundtheCOVID-19virusandvaccine.Sharing30yearsofresearchspecifictothistypeofvaccine what we know with each other, to share it with you. technology (messenger RNA or mRNA). Its not new. There has also been minority representation up and Dr.Jonessaidsheunderstandstheskepticismdowntheentirescientificspectrumthroughoutthe amongminoritycommunities,becauseofclinicaljourney to this vaccine.experimentsthatoccurredinthepastspecifically,Thesevaccinesworkbyinjectingasmallbitof the Tuskegee experiments. What happened with themRNAwrappedinasmalllipidnanoparticleinto Tuskegee trials is not the same thing as presenting athebody.ThemRNAgoesintoyourcell(butnot vaccine to protect us from COVID-19. The tragedy inthe nucleus of your cell where your DNA lives), and the Tuskegee experiments was they discovered earlieryourbodyusesthismRNAinstructionmanual on that there was a treatment, but they withheld thattomakeacertaintypeofproteinthatlooksjust treatment to observe a disease process. Some patientslike the coronavirus protein. This protein helps your havetoldmetheythinkpeoplewereinjectedwithbody create an immune response to the coronavirus the disease, but that is not what happened. From thatbytellingyourbodytocreateantibodies.These tragedy came review committees and boards that areantibodies are stored and should the virus ever enter now responsible for making sure safety guidelines areyourbody,theantibodieswillfightitoff.Current in place, and making sure we inform people about themRNAvaccinesincludethePfizerandModerna studies they are participating in. COVID-19 vaccines.20IMARA20IMARA'